Isabella
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: What if Dawson and Gretchen slept together at the end of Late? What if Gretchen got pregnant? 8 years later and everybody is at home for Pacey and Joey's wedding?


**A/N: This was just an idea I had after watching Late. What if Gretchen and Dawson had slept together and she got pregnant. 8 years later, Gretchen brings her daughter home for Pacey and Joey's wedding.**

**Disclaimer: Pfft not mine.**

"Mama?" Isabella Dawson Witter called from the backseat, where she sat in cargo pants, converse and a Grateful Dead teeshirt, fidling with the video camera she had gotten for Christmas.

"Yeah Issi?" Gretchen asked, her stomach was in knots as they got closer and closer to Capeside.

"Am I really gonna meet my Dad?" Isabella asked, her blond hair blowing in the wind and her blue eyes full of excitement.

"Yeah kid." Gretchen sighed as they entered the Capeside city limits, she hoped that Dawson would take this as well as humanly possible, that he would love Isabella.

"Mommy, I gotta go potty!" Isabella whined.

"Can't you wait til we get to Uncle Pacey and Aunt Joey's?"

"No! I gotsta go now!" Isabella cried, she pouted at her mother in the rearview window. Gretchen sighed, pulling into the nearest parking place at Leery's Fresh Fish. She sighed, this was not the way she had wanted this to go down.

"C'mon." She helped the little girl out of the car and lead her into the restraunt.

"Be right... Gretchen?" Gail said from behind the counter.

"Hi Gail." Gretchen swallowed hard, "This is Isabella and she really has to use the bathroom."

"Sure. Sure. Honey, right back there." Gail instructed the little girl who sprinted off.

"Are you in town for Pacey and Joey's wedding?"

"Yeah. Maid of Honor." Gretchen explained.

"You know that.."

"Dawson's the best man. Yeah. Joey told me." Gretchen waited for the question that was sure to come.

"Is Isabella your daughter?" Gail asked wearily.

"Yeah she is."

"How old is she?" Gail asked, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

"8 years old. Nine months to the day younger than Lily" Gretchen admitted.

"She's Dawson's!?" Gail exclaimed and Gretchen nodded, "Does Dawson know?" Gretchen shook her head no as the blond haired girl rushed back into the room.

"Mom! Guess what?"

"What?" Gretchen asked giving her daughter her full attention, forcing a smile on her face.

"I washed my hands and I didn't get water EVERYWHERE." Isabella said, proud of herself.

"That's great sweetie." Gretchen smiled, "Issi, I want you to meet someone very important to me. Is, this is Gail Thompson. Gail, this is Isabella Dawson Witter."

"It's nice to meet you sweetheart." Gail came around the counter and kneeled before her grandaughter.

"It's nice to meet you too Ms. Thompson." Isabella said and stuck out her hand to shake her hand.

Gail shook her hand and smiled, "I have a daughter, Lily who is around your age. She's hanging out with her big brother today, but I bet she'd love to have someone to hang out with while the adults are planning your Uncle Pacey's wedding."

"Really?" Isabella gave her a huge smile that showed her missing teeth.

"Is.." Gretchen was never one for lying to her daughter, "Gail is your Dad's Mom. She's your Grandma. Her daughter Lily is actually your aunt. And Lily's big brother Dawson is your Dad."

"Oh. That's sooo cool! Most of my friends at school, they're Aunts and Uncles are like SO much older than them! But my Aunt is around my age. That's so cool." Isabella said and Gretchen laughed, her daughter was a hundred percent adaptable.

"Any idea where I might find Dawson?" Gretchen asked Gail.

"Standing right behind you." A deep voice said and Gretchen fought the urge to cuss as she turned around.

"Hey Stranger." Gretchen said.

"Lily, Isabella, why don't you come with me, we'll give Gretchen and Dawson sometime to talk." Gail said and lead the girls into the kitchen.

"She's my daughter?" Dawson asked slowly and Gretchen nodded.

"The night I was supposed to go to Boston."Gretchen filled in the blank.

"You couldn't of called me in the last eight years? What, did you think I wouldn't understand! That I'd be like Nick?" Dawson asked getting angry.

"Don't get mad. Please, Dawson..." Gretchen sighed,"I was going to tell you when I found out, but I didn't want to wreck USC for you. Then when she was born...September 27th.. the day Mitch died. That's why I wasn't here for the funeral. I was in labor, Dawson." Gretchen took a deep breath, "After that it just seemed too late."

"Gretchen..she's really mine?"

"She's really and truly yours." Gretchen said.

"I want to be a part of her life." Dawson said, there was no thinking about it, Isabella was his and he needed to be the best father he could be.

"Good. I want you to be a part of her life." Gretchen sighed, she still loved him, but everything was so complicated.

"Can I come out now?" A voice called from the swinging the doors and both of them laughed.

"Yes. Get out here!" Gretchen called back and Isabella sprinted out from behind the doors, bypassing her mother and flying straight into her father's arms. Dawson picked her up and held her close. Gretchen wiped the tears that were falling.

"You're my Daddy." Isabella smiled and clung to his neck.

"And you're my daughter." Dawson whispered in her ear, he was smiling hugely.

"My Mommy named me after you." Isabella explained, pulling back a little bit to look him in the face, "Sort of anyways. Isabella is for this story her Gamma used to tell. But my middle name is for you. Isabella Dawson Witter." She said firmly.

"I like it." Dawson laughed.

"Mommy said you make movies and a she lets me watch The Creek." Isabella said and smiled up at him.

"Really. Do you like it?"

"I love it. I want to be just like you when I grow up. I have my own video camera and everything." Isabella wiggled out of his arms, runnging over to Gretchen, she dug through her bag, pulling out her camera.

Dawson kneeled before her as she explained to him exactly how every button worked, "I'm writing my own movie."

"That's so cool Isabella." Dawson said.

Gretchen glanced at the clock, "Crap! Kid, we gotta get over to Uncle Pacey and Aunt Joey's."

"Can Daddy come with us?" Isabella asked, jutting out her lower lip, glancing back and forth at her parents.

"Sure." Gretchen said and Dawson scooped her up.

Gail watched from behind the counter, she couldn't believe how accepting Dawson was of his newfound daughter. She couldn't of been prouder of him and she knew that Mitch would of been too.

**A/N: Chapter One? Standalone? You choose. I couldn't remember the day Mitch died [like when the episode aired] but I figured it was in September since school had started. And I didn't know who Gail married so I picked a last name at random. Hope ya like it =D**


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